I Dare You
by TwiFic Lovah
Summary: Summary: At eighteen, Edward made a decision that changed his whole life, one that turned his whole family against him. Now, five years later, he is returning to the place that disowned him, to fight for the only person who said she'd never turn her back on him. But unfortunately, time changes people, and sometimes, love isn't enough. Edward and Bella. Drama and romance.
1. Chapter 1

**A/A: Hi, this is what I wrote for FFMH. Thank you to everyone who donated to this great cause. I will be posting it in short chapters, every few days-ish. Lol.**

 **A huge thank to my pre-reader Ipso and the amazing Geeky.**

 **I do not own anything Twilight, but I do own this plot.**

 **I DARE YOU**

Isabella Swan numbly looked at her bedside clock before turning her stare back to the ceiling.

10:53 P.M.

She had told herself tomorrow would be like any other day. But as the months had dwindled into weeks, then days, even she knew she was lying to herself. Now, though, it was a mere few hours away, and she could hardly breathe.

At one point, she'd dreamed of tomorrow and all the possibilities that could come with it—had even been counting down the days. Today, her eyes were puffy from the immeasurable amount of tears she'd cried—happy and sad ones.

Isabella removed the blankets and stood, her legs moving on their own accord as her heart begged them to stop. Her heart wouldn't win. Getting to her closet, Isabella reached for the small box in the bottom back corner. Placing it on her bed, she opened it.

His hat.

The ticket stubs of their first movie.

The CD he had made her for her birthday.

Her heart started pounding as her fingers gently ran along the rim of his beloved hat. He'd never gone anywhere without it. His mother had made her take it, saying he would want her to have it. Back then, it meant everything to her.

Now, all it did was serve her with painful memories and remind her of the childish hope she'd once held.

Isabella closed the box and placed it back in the far dark corner of her closet where it belonged. Instead of crawling back into her bed like she wanted to, she let her legs travel to her dresser. She pulled open the bottom drawer that held a single item.

Her hands trembled as she picked it up, unfolding it to see the big letters on the back: CULLEN.

The tears started to fall again as she pulled it to her face and sniffed. It didn't smell like him anymore, but she remembered his scent. It was locked into her memory.

Standing in front of her mirror, Isabella lifted the shirt she was wearing over her head, and her eyes automatically travelled to the ink on her side, just below her left breast. Her hand slowly reached up, and she took in a deep breath as her fingers traced the tattoo—the one that matched his.

Isabella sobbed silently as she slid into his jersey, needing to feel it against her bare skin before crawling into bed. She hadn't worn it in years, but it still fit perfectly—like she'd once thought they did. She pulled the blankets up under her chin before wrapping her arms around herself and sobbing. Her thoughts were all over the place.

 _I wish he finds peace._

 _I hope he finds happiness._

 _I pray to God he doesn't look for me._

Not knowing how much time had passed, Isabella looked at her bedside clock once more.

12:07 A.M.

She clutched at her chest and let out a loud sob as one more thought crossed her mind.

 _Today, Edward Cullen gets out of jail._

 **A/N: Not all chapters will be this short. Thank you for reading, it means so much to me.**

 **Twific Lovah.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter. I will reply when FF.N let's me.**

 **Thank you to Ipsi and Patrizia for pre-reading. And a huge thank you to my AMAZING beta Geeky. Also, I like to tweak, so any and all mistakes are mine.**

 **I do not own anything Twilight, but I do own this plot.**

Edward Cullen stepped outside the prison walls for the first time in five years. And even though he had spent many hours in the prison's outside area, the sun somehow seemed brighter in that moment.

As he stood there, letting the sun's warmth soak into his skin, he let his thoughts travel to the one person he always thought of—the one person he needed to see.

Isabella Swan.

She was always on his mind. It didn't matter if he was working out in the prison's gym, eating a meal, or trying to fall asleep. He was thinking of Isabella Swan and...

His thoughts were broken as he heard his name called. Instantly, he thought it was an officer, that they had made a mistake by releasing him, because he knew for sure no one would be there to pick him up. His parents had disowned him the day he entered King County Jail. But there was no way he would ever go back in there now that he was out. So he started to run.

"Yo, Cullen!" someone called again.

 _I know that voice_ , Edward thought as his steps slowed. Turning around, he saw his friend and ex-cellmate, Emmett McCarty.

"Emmett!" he yelled from across the parking lot as he jogged to one of his only friends in the world. They did their manly handshake and one-armed hug as they greeted each other.

"Hop in," Emmett said, gesturing to his truck. It was then that Edward realized what Emmett was standing next to—a run down, beat-up old F-150.

"What the fuck is that?" Edward asked as he pointed to it.

"It's your fucking ride out of this hell hole. Now get the fuck in." Emmett laughed.

As Edward got in, he noticed there were bags on the middle of the seat. Emmett had even thought to bring Edward clothes, knowing his clothes from five years ago would be a tight fit.

"I've got smokes, soda, and every fucking junk food you can imagine, bro. Dig in. But tell me where we're going first.

Edward didn't even think as he said Forks, but Emmett looked at him with concern on his face. "Are you sure?"

There was nothing Emmett wanted more than to take his friend where he wanted to go. But Forks? He'd told him all about Forks, and he didn't want his friend to go there and be disappointed.

"Yep," Edward said as he took a smoke from the packet.

"She hasn't visited you in four and a half years, Eddie."

"I'll hitchhike like I was going to, if you won't take me."

Without another word, Emmett started his truck and headed out of the prison parking lot. They sat in comfortable silence for fifteen minutes as Edward chain-smoked before Emmett broke the silence.

"I ahh... I'll need you to tell me how to get there."

Edward nodded as they once again fell into a comfortable silence. And as they traveled away from Edward's home for the last five years, he couldn't help but remember how he'd gotten there.

 _It was still dark, and the early morning air was stinging Edward Cullen's face as he placed his hand on the door of the Forks Police Department. "It's now or never," he said to himself as he took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped inside._

" _Chief," Edward said as his eyes found his best friend's father. Running a hand through his hair, he continued. "I'm here to turn myself in."_

 _Charles 'Charlie' Swan, also known to everyone as Chief, shook his head, though he wasn't surprised. He had repeatedly warned his daughter, Isabella, about Edward since they were knee-high to a grasshopper._

" _Here to turn yourself in for what, Cullen?" Charlie already knew. He'd been talking with the fire department for hours already, but he needed to hear it from Edward himself._

" _I ahh..." Edward nervously ran his hands through his hair again before placing them on the counter that separated him from Charlie. "I'm the one who drove the car into the school gym."_

 _Edward didn't even flinch at the look of disappointment Charlie constantly wore around him._

" _I can't say I'm surprised, but why?" Charlie asked as he pulled his pen from his front pocket. Edward shrugged to keep the chief from knowing just how scared he was._

" _It ahh... It seemed like it would be fun?"_

" _You thought it would be fun to steal a car and drive into the school gymnasium?" Charlie was struggling to control his temper._

 _It took Edward a moment to answer. He had neglected to think about the fact that he would be charged with stealing the car, too. Once the car went up in flames, everything else was forgotten. Everything but getting the fuck out of there._

" _Well, no," Edward finally said. "I actually didn't mean to crash the car, Chief. I was doing some donuts on the school oval, and I lost control of the car."_

" _You're eighteen now, Edward. You're not going to get a slap on the wrist." Charlie couldn't hide the anger and disappointment that laced his voice. He was so angry that Edward had done this. How was he supposed to tell his daughter he had to charge her best friend?_

" _I know, and yet, I still can't regret it."_

 _Charlie walked around and opened the small gate, gesturing for Edward to step to the other side. "Empty your pockets. I'll need an official statement. You know where interview room one is. I'll be there in a moment."_

 _Edward hid his fear well as Charlie entered the room, but the truth was, he was scared. He'd been in a little trouble before, but nothing like this. He somehow managed to keep a blank expression as his heart beat rapidly against his ribcage. And it only increased as Charlie walked him to the holding cell after taking Edward's statement. He'd stay there until later that morning, when he would be transferred to Seattle to await a hearing. It's not like his parents would pay his bail._

 _"You sure you don't want to call someone?"_

 _Edward shook his head. "I left Mom and Dad a note. I don't need to hear the disappointment in their voices."_

 _"You don't want to let Bells know?" Charlie asked as he closed the cell._

 _"Nah, she'll find out soon enough with the way this town gossips." He had no idea what Isabella would say, but none of it would be good, and for the first time, Edward second-guessed his decision to hand himself in, but it soon dissolved._

"What?" Edward was snapped out of his thoughts when Emmett spoke.

"I said do you wanna stop and get some takeout? Burger King or something?"

"Ahhh, nah. I just wanna get to Forks, man," Edward said as he lit another smoke. "Besides, I figure why start again now? Y'know what I mean?"

Emmett took his eyes off the road briefly to look at Edward with disgust. "No. No I don't know what you mean. Edward, it's fucking Burger King. It was literally the first place I went to when I was released."

"Why doesn't that shock me?" Edward chuckled. It didn't surprise him at all that the first place Emmett went to included food. He'd always thought of his stomach before anything else.

Emmett was silent for a few more moments before quietly speaking. "I really think you should reconsider going to Forks." Edward started to talk, but Emmett didn't let him. "You've told me all about her. And while you've never actually said it, I know you love her. But she obviously isn't the same girl you left anymore. She hasn't visited you in a long time, so you need to be prepared in case she doesn't want to see you now."

Edward took a long drag of his smoke to try to calm himself. "You think I haven't thought of that, Emmett? Fuck. It's all I've thought about for months. But I need to believe it was something keeping her from me. I need to believe that she's still my best friend. My Bella."

Emmett nodded but didn't speak again as he continued to look at the road. He knew Edward needed to see her, find out why she had stopped all contact, but he also worried for his best friend. After so long inside, something like Bella not wanting to see him could send him over the edge. "You're right, Edward. You do need this closure, if that's what it is. I hope not, though. Truly."

"Yeah, me too, man. Me too." Edward sighed. The rest of the ride was filled with talk of their life inside. Emmett asked how their friend, Jasper, was doing inside, knowing he only had a few weeks until his release date. "He's good," Edward told him. "Gonna be bored out of his fucking mind with neither of us to counsel."

They both laughed at that. Jasper had sandy blond hair that sat over his ears. He was built and had tattoos all over him. But as hard as he looked, Jasper was a softie with a passion for psychology. He would often, without realizing it, speak to them as though they were his patients. And he was always the peacekeeper in any heated situation, often acting as a mediator.

"Edward." Emmett's tone became serious. "I got a spare bed at my place." Emmett wanted Edward to know that he had a place to stay. He knew Edward couldn't go to his parents', and he didn't have high hopes for Bella wanting to see him.

Emmett was an emotional guy. He wasn't a man who was ashamed to admit that he cried sometimes. He liked his loved ones knowing he loved them. But it was different with a guy you had only ever known in the slammer.

"Thanks. I'll probably need it."

The sadness in Edward's tone didn't go unnoticed by Emmett, but he decided to leave it. If Edward wanted to talk, he would be all ears, but he wouldn't push him.

Suddenly, they drove past the 'Welcome to Forks' sign, and Edward wondered where the time had gone.

"You're gonna have to tell me where to go here, buddy," Emmett said without taking his eyes off the road.

Edward replied with an 'mhmm' as he looked around. It had only been five years since he'd been here, and though everything was the same, it seemed so different to him. The grass didn't look as green. The white house's didn't look as white. And it seemed smaller, which was saying something.

"Pull into that convenience store." Edward pointed to the building on the corner.

Once parked, they got out and headed inside. Edward went straight to the fridge for some cold water. He was closing the door when he heard it, and a shiver ran down his spine.

"Edward?" He ignored the voice, hoping it would go away.

It didn't.

"Edward!" He took his hand off the door before he turned, and there she was. "Oh my God. I knew it was you," his twin sister, Alice, cried as she ran and jumped on him. With her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, Alice sobbed into his shoulder, while Edward tried to push her off. "I'm so sorry, Edward. I'm so, so sorry." Alice continued to sob on her brother's shoulder.

"Alice, get off me," Edward said calmly before finally placing her on the ground. She had changed a lot. Her hair, once spiky and dyed purple, was now long and her natural almost black color. She'd been full-on punk in their high school days, but now she wore dark blue jeans and a simple white t-shirt. His sister looked so grown up.

His heart broke a little as he saw the sincerity of her words in her eyes, but it wasn't enough to keep him there, and he turned away from her.

"I live in Seattle now," she said. "I only came to Forks in the hopes to see you." Alice's pleas got louder as she stared at Edward's back. "I have nothing except I'm sorry. And I am. I truly am."

"You're sorry?" Edward said as he turned back to his sister. She nodded, but Edward continued. "Sorry doesn't mean shit when I've sat in a cell for five years with no word from you. Not one visit. Not one call. Not one letter."

Alice didn't care that she was in the store as her sobs got louder. "They made me ... They made me choose between them and you. It was you or get cut off."

"And you chose the money." Edward turned away from her once again as Alice fell to the floor.

Alice Cullen was a little spitfire with a passion for fashion. She had studied in Seattle to become a fashion designer, leaving Forks not long after Edward went inside. She hadn't uttered a word to her parents for nearly a year, until she realized speaking to them could actually benefit her and Edward. She was angry at her brother. So angry. But she loved him and could never walk away from him. So she swallowed her stubbornness and contacted their parents. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. But she did it for Edward. Controlling her cries finally, Alice stood and ran after Edward. He was getting into a truck as she yelled to him.

"Wait! Wait. I have money."

Edward rolled his eyes in anger. "Shove your money—"

"No, I have money for you," she said as she finally reached him. "I... I knew you would have nothing when you got out. So I opened an account for you. I've been putting money in it for years. Mom and Dad may be able to desert you, but I couldn't ever, Edward."

"Then why?" Edward didn't need to elaborate.

"I was angry. I'm still angry that you did it. I knew you were stupid, Edward, but that..." Alice shook her head as she looked at the ground. "But I love you and have missed you, so much."

"Jump in the middle," Edward said as he moved from beside the door. "You can come to Bella's. Lord knows Chief won't want to see me." Edward laughed humorlessly, and he saw a flash of anger in Alice's eyes before she spoke.

"Bella moved. I don't know where to. Only that it's in Seattle."

The shock Edward felt was obvious on his face.

"Don't look like that. You're the one thing that kept Bella and me close all those years before you went away. Besides, she's a fucking bitch, and I don't want to see her anyway."

"What? Why?"

"Look, Bella and Rose became close after you left, and they moved to Seattle together."

"Bella and Rose? They hated each other."

"Yeah well, Rose got pregnant by Royce. They were together, but he died. Bella helped her during the pregnancy," Alice said as she finally got in the truck.

"Hi, I'm Alice, the sister," she said to Emmett, who had watched their whole exchange.

"Hello. I'm Emmett, the ex-cellmate," Emmett said cautiously, hoping he didn't intimidate her.

He didn't. Alice went to speak, but Edward cut her off.

"Royce died?" Royce and Edward had never been friends. They only knew each other because he was on the football team too. But there were a few times they had had a joke together, and he was sad to learn that he had passed. And even more sad that Rose had had to go through that while being a young mother.

"Yeah, Rose was about three months pregnant. He got another job working at Newtons. He was stacking shelves when he fell off the ladder and hit his head in the wrong spot. Died instantly."

"Shit. That's fucking horrible."

"Yeah. So in all honesty, I have no idea where they are."

"Well, will anyone aside from the Chief know where she is? I don't want to see him."

"Maybe Jess."

"Wait, Bella and Jess are friends? What the fuck happened while I was gone?" Bella had hated Rose and Jess in school—called Jess a skanky ho and Rose a fucking stuck-up bitch. He never in a million years would have thought he would come back to Forks and find this out. It was like an alternate universe.

"Yeah, she and Rose were always close. So when Bella was seeing Rose a lot, I guess she was seeing Jess too."

"I hate to break up this walk down memory lane," Emmett interrupted, "but if we're getting back to Seattle tonight, we need to get a move on."

"Okay." Alice turned to Emmett. "Go to the school and park there. I'll go home, get some things, and meet you back there in like twenty minutes."

"Just tell me where to go," Emmett said as he started the car. Alice directed him until they got to the school. Then she ran off to get some things from her house.

Edward sat in silence as he stared at the school. He felt so many emotions, but the one emotion he thought would be there wasn't.

He still couldn't regret it.

.

.

"So, I have a cell for you, the newest iPhone," Alice said as she riffled through her bag on their way to Jess's house.

"Aww man, I want that phone," Emmett whined.

"I'll get you one." Alice smiled. "A thank-you for bringing my brother back. You'll never know what it means to me."

They pulled into Jess's driveway a few minutes later, and Alice put her hand on Edward's arm. "I want you to know that I do not agree with this. I think you should reconsider what you're doing. Some things are better left in the past, and Bella is one of them."

"Bella will never just be my past," is all Edward said as he got out of the truck.

Edward walked up to the door and knocked, taking in the white brick house with big front double doors as he waited. After what felt like ten minutes, a very pregnant Jessica Stanley opened the door.

"Edward?" Jessica didn't hide her shock. But then she realized the only reason he would be here. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you where she is," she said sadly.

"Jess, please?"

Jess stood there, looking at the man-version of the boy with whom she'd once been in love. They had dated in high school, much to Bella's disgust. Edward had treated her badly, only caring about his own needs. He repeatedly broke her heart, but she kept going back for more. It wasn't until he went to jail that she and Mike had started talking. Now, they were married and expecting their first child. But no matter what had happened in their past, she could never hate Edward.

"I ... I'm sorry, Edward. Truly."

"I only want to say hi—see how she is. If she tells me to fuck off, I'll never contact her again," Edward pleaded.

Jessica saw the sincerity in his eyes and heard it in his voice, and she couldn't say no to him. Not because she was still in love with him. Mike was her world, but because at the end of the day, she knew deep down that Edward really was a great guy. "Wait here." Jessica walked off, and Edward felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

As Jess waddled back to the door, Edward really looked at her. She hadn't changed much at all, except for the huge stomach and rounder face.

"This is her address. Technically, she only told me not to give her number out."

"Thank you so much," Edward said as he took the piece of paper from her hand. "How are you, anyway?"

"I get heartburn constantly. My back aches all. The. Time. And my feet feel like swollen anchors. But I am so very wonderful, Edward. Mike is the greatest husband. And we can't wait to meet our first bundle of joy."

"That's great," Edward said honestly. They stood in silence for a moment before Edward spoke again. "I'm so sorry for the way I treated you. God, I was such an ass—"

Jess cut him off. "Don't be sorry. We were kids, and well, it's all in the past now."

"Yeah, maybe. I still feel like shit for it, though. But I'm so happy you got your happily ever after. You used to drive me crazy with that." He laughed as he waved the paper in front of his face. "I better be going."

He had only taken two steps when Jess called his name. "I know it had to be hard coming back here. But don't listen to what anyone says. Were you a shit of a kid? Yes. Is what you did stupid? Yes. We were all young and stupid; we all made mistakes. But you're a good guy, Edward. You always have been. You deserve your own happily ever after, too. I hope it all works out for you and Bella. Lord knows she deserves hers."

Then she closed the door as Edward stood there, taking in her words. He wondered if she had always known Bella owned his heart or if she figured it out later.

He didn't think about it for too long. He needed to get to Bella.

As they turned onto Bella's street, Emmett pulled over to the side of the road. Edward started to feel a little nervous. Could he really handle Bella telling him to leave? He hoped he wouldn't find out. He knew he had to do it now, before he lost his nerve. Alice had spent the whole drive bitching about Bella. He knew something had to have happened for Alice to feel this kind of hate toward her, but she kept telling him nothing had happened. He had told her repeatedly to stop, but she had to make one more plea.

"Edward, don't. She will ruin everything. That's what she does. Everything she touches turns to shit, because that's what she is—"

"Enough!" Edward finally snapped, cutting Alice off. "I don't know what the fuck happened between you two, but don't make me choose between the two of you, because I will choose her. I will always choose Bella."

"That's fucking wrong."

"Wrong? You didn't choose me." Edward pointed his index finger at his chest. "Why would you expect that from me now?"

"That's not fair. I didn't choose a fucking..." While Alice's voice had started out strong, she trailed off and slumped in her seat as her brother's truthful words sank in.

"Careful what you say now, Alice." Edward could feel his blood pumping through his veins, he was so angry.

"Why?" Alice yelled back. "What is it about her that you can't let go of?"

"I'll tel—"

"Okay, boys and girls. Calm down," Emmett finally interrupted, putting his hand between them. "Alice, you need to let Edward do what he has to do. Whether you agree or not, he needs to do it for himself."

"Fine. But don't come running to me when she breaks your fucking heart, Edward, because she will. She always has."

Edward ignored his sister as he got out of the truck.

Five years ago, walking into that cell, Edward had been scared and nervous, but he knew Isabella had his back. Now, he had no idea what to expect from her, and the fear that tore through him was so painful that he had to stop a few steps later to collect his thoughts. He took slow steps up to Isabella's door. His breathing became heavy, and his heart started beating fast. He took one last deep breath and knocked. It was only a few seconds before the door opened, but it felt like an hour. And when it did, his heart stopped.

 **A/N: Again, thank you for reading.**

 **TwiFic Lovah.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi All!**

 **Shout-out to Ipsita and Pa for pre-reading. And a huge thank you to GeekChic12, who dropped everything to work her beta magic when I asked her. Also, I like to tweak, so any and ALL mistakes are mine.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight, but I do own this plot.**

They spoke at the same time.

"Edward." Bella gasped.

"Bella." Edward sighed with relief.

Isabella instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close and tight. It had been so long, too long since she'd felt his touch. That old jersey had nothing on how good it felt to be wrapped up in him.

Edward let out a deep breath, relief washing over him. She did want to see him. She was happy he was out.

Remembering herself, Isabella pulled away and stood there in shock, staring at Edward Cullen. She had known he would look for her, though she didn't think it would be so soon. The reality of it was worse than she could have ever imagined. Clearing her throat, she finally spoke. "What are you doing here?"

Her eyes travelled over his body as she waited for his reply. Time had been good to him. His jawline was more pronounced, and his black t-shirt showed that his chest and arms were more defined. And those green eyes still made her heart skip.

"What am I doing here?" he asked, astounded. "I'm here to see the only person who didn't shun me. I'm here to see my best friend." As he said the words, Edward took his best friend in. She had changed slightly. Her hips were a little wider, her face a little rounder. Somehow, she was even more beautiful than he remembered.

"I think it's best that you leave," Isabella whispered thickly as Edward's eyes grew wide. The words felt like sandpaper in her throat.

"Leave?" he forced out. It hurt to even say the word. He had spent so long thinking of this moment, foolishly believing she would be happy to see him. Isabella nodded and tried to shut the door, but Edward stopped it with his hand.

"What do you want from me, Edward?" She may not have believed it if someone told her, but her best friend still knew her, and he saw the sadness in her eyes as her lips formed the words he had hoped she would never say.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe an 'It's great to see you' or 'come in, I've missed you.'" He couldn't control the anger in his voice.

And she _had_ missed him—more than she could ever put into words, but time had changed her. She wasn't that eighteen-year-old girl anymore.

"I have missed you. But I'm not the same person I was back then."

"You think I am?" he shouted before lowering his voice to continue. "Five years in the slammer changes a person, Bella."

Edward pushed the door open and walked inside. His eyes stayed trained on Bella. He didn't notice the large TV hanging on the wall. He didn't notice the pictures in their frames.

"The fuck?" Isabella shouted. "Get out of my house."

"No. I deserve—"

"Oh, here we go. I owe you—"

"Oh, fuck off, Bella. Get over yourself."

"Get over _my_ self?" Isabella said as she pointed to herself. "You're the one who came storming into _my_ house. I don't owe you shit. Now, get the fuck out of here." It almost killed her to say the words, especially when all she wanted to do was sink into his arms and melt into his body.

"You don't owe me an explanation? The fuck you don't. What the fuck happened? Where have you been the last four and a half years?" Edward ran his hands through his hair in anger. How could she be acting this way?

"Busy," she spat, adding salt to Edward's already wounded heart.

"Busy? Doing what?" he roared back.

"Living life, Edward. Meeting people, getting a job, paying bills, being a fucking adult."

"Wow, that must've been nice, living the dream and all. Wanna know how I've spent the last five years?" Isabella didn't reply. It was a stupid question and obviously rhetorical. "I mean, we all know where I've been, but want to know how I spent my time?"

Isabella had no choice but to play along. "How?"

"Well, I'd wake up thinking of you. Then I'd eat breakfast, thinking of you. I'd go to work after that and think of you. Yeah, we had assigned jobs in there. Then I'd work out, and you'd be on my mind. Somewhere in between, I'd eat lunch and wonder what you were doing. Then I'd go play some basketball with some friends and think of how we'd play and you'd trip over your own feet, trying to beat me. Then I'd eat dinner, thinking of you and wondering if you were okay. And finally, I'd lie in bed, thinking of you. Five years. Sixty months. Two hundred and sixty weeks. One thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five days thinking. Of. You. And this fucking moment. And not once in one of those one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days did I ever picture you telling me to fuck off."

"What did you expect? Fuck, you've been gone so long, Edward. I couldn't just stop living." Isabella's determination was fading the more she looked at him, at the pain in his eyes. But she needed to do this for her. For Sam.

"Look at this." He lifted his shirt to show his tattoo while pointing at it with the other hand, and Isabella ached to touch his ripped form. "Look at it, Bella. Remember when we got them?" Edward's voice was rising with every word.

"Stop!" Isabella demanded, tears streaming down her face.

"Remember how I tried to make you change your mind? Remember how you told me you wanted that design because we would be friends forever?"

Isabella didn't want to hurt him. She never wanted to hurt Edward, ever, but he wasn't making this easy. Her heart was in agony as she pushed back all she wanted to say and forced out the only words that would send him away.

"Of course I remember. I remember every fucking time I shower, every fucking time I get changed. I can't ever fucking forget, Edward! Is that what you want to hear? Because that fucking ink forces me to think of you every fucking day, and I have to live with it every. Single. Fucking. Day."

That was the moment when it finally hit him. Isabella had never been kept away from him like he'd so desperately hoped. She'd chosen to stay away from him, and suddenly, he couldn't be around her anymore. He couldn't stand looking at the only person he would ever love, knowing he was nothing but a bad memory to her. His hopes, his dreams of a beautiful reunion were gone. His childish belief that they would just fit together once again was shattered by her words.

"Look at you. All you are is everything you used to hate." Edward shook his head as he turned and walked out the front door.

.

.

Isabella threw herself against the door, locking it and sobbing as she slid down to the floor with her back against the hardwood to give her some semblance of support. Her heart was broken. She thought Edward going to jail was hard. Nothing would ever compare to turning him away. Nothing.

As Edward walked back to Emmett and Alice, the cold wind made him realize he had started to cry. He didn't try to hide it as he yelled, "Fuck!"

Alice heard it and jumped from the car. "I'll fucking kill her," she yelled as she started to run. Thankfully, Emmett was faster.

"Wait," he said as he grabbed her arms. "Let's hear what he has to say first."

"No, let me go, Emmett!" Alice yelled as she tried to get out of his grip.

"Calm down. Edward doesn't need to deal with your shit, too," he whisper-yelled into Alice's ear as he moved his hands from her arms to wrap them around her body, hoping to stop her squirming. When she looked back at Edward, he was close enough for her to see his tears that he let fall freely, and all it did was make her angrier.

"Fucking let me go, Emmett. I swear you'll regret it if you don't."

Emmett laughed while she fought him with extra strength—strength Emmett didn't think possible from such a small being. Then suddenly, she stopped, losing all strength as she saw the look in Edward's eyes. He looked so sad. So defeated. So broken. Emmett saw it too, and his grip on Alice loosened. She took the opportunity to run to Edward and wrap her arms around him like she had earlier, but this time, Edward let her hold him as his sobs took over.

Emmett and Edward had become fast friends in prison. They'd clicked the moment they met. They had gotten to know so much of each other's lives in the cell they shared together. But as he stood there, watching his best friend, who he'd only known outside of prison for less than a day, he realized it didn't matter how much he'd told him. There were always things that couldn't ever be explained. Some things you had to see, experience for yourself to understand. And in that moment, he understood Edward more than he ever had in that cell in which they'd shared so many stories. His heart broke for his friend. Emmett now knew what that moment Edward had just had with Bella had meant to him. And even though he didn't know exactly what'd happened, he now knew how much Edward had needed that moment to go any other way than how it had.

He walked over to where Alice was still holding her brother and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Come on, bro. Let's go home."

Edward cringed at his friend's words. His home was just down the street. His home was long chocolate-colored hair. His home was deep brown eyes. His home was heart-shaped and beating in the body of the most precious being.

And he'd just been evicted.

He let his sobs calm before pulling Alice's arms from his neck. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Let's go to your place." Edward's choice of words was not lost on his friend and twin sister, though they said nothing.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading, I can not tell you how much it means to me.**

 **Twific Lovah.**


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